CERTIFIED COPY OF MARRIAGE LICENSE

[jhonster 23]

Hello all once again.

I had a question regarding getting our certified copy of our marriage license. One person I read posted that we should ask for an "electronic endorsement" that I could have taken to the Manila NSO office and could have gotten an official certified copy within 15 minutes. Is that true?

When I asked the registrars office at Manila City Hall, she looked at me like I was crazy and said I have to wait.

What exactly IS the process and do I have any options to expedite getting a certified copy of our marriage certificate?

We were wed on March 20th, 2013. Just in case people need to know.

Thanks for any help.

Sincerely,

John

[Mojoe1 4]

There are two marriage licenses in the Philippines, maybe 3 if you count the church one. The two I know about are the Civil Registrars marriage certificate and the NSO marriage certificate. Are you looking to file DCF at the embassy? The Civil Registrars certified copy will suffice for the 130 petition, but you will need the NSO copy for the interview.

[sjr09 155]

Normally it takes 1 - 3 months to get the NSO marriage cert. You can stop off at your local civil registry and ask for the cert to be expedited.

　

BTW, you don't need an NSO copy of your marriage cert to start the petition process.But you will need an NSO copy of your marriage cert for the later NVC step (National Visa Center), for a CR-1 visa

Edited March 23, 2013 by sjr09

[CJ8611 6]

I believe you mean the marriage certificate/contract, not the marriage license. The marriage license is the document needed so you can get married, license to get married so to speak. The marriage certificate/contract is the document that certifies you are married.

The marriage certificate/contract from the registrar is usually ready a week after your wedding, we got ours a week after. You must check with the civil registrar where you got married. They usually give out certified true copies, for a fee, along with the original marriage certificate/contract. As others mentioned, the copy from the municipal registrar will suffice for the I-130 application. However, later in the stage, you would need the one issued on security paper or the NSO copy, which is usually available 6 months after the wedding. Others cited the NSO copy may be expedited, I'm just not sure how because I did not, but there are existing threads about it.

Good luck!

[sjr09 155]

I believe you mean the marriage certificate/contract, not the marriage license. The marriage license is the document needed so you can get married, license to get married so to speak. The marriage certificate/contract is the document that certifies you are married.

[jhonster 23]

Yes. That is what I mean. I guess I need a certified copy of the wedding certificate/contract. Now since the wedding happened last Wednesday (March 20th), do you think that they'll still have the original there still in order for me to get a certified copy of it? I'f I'm not mistaken, they told me they'd be sending it to the NSO. Or maybe they told me to pick it up next week. Now I'm forgetting. Oy! This stuff is so confusing.

Hopefully the latter is correct.

At any rate, we're in Puerto Galera honeymooning till Tuesday & will head back to Manila Tuesday morning. Hopefully we'll get back there in time to pass by the Manila City Hall and check it out. I know the person I'm using to do my CR1 with said make sure you leave with a copy of the Marriage Contract.

Thanks so much for your help.

[apple21 953]

You can get a certified true copy of your Marriage Certificate at the Local Civil Registry. That copy you can send in together with your i-130.

Did you apply for Advance Endorsement of your MC? If you did, you will get the NSO copy (printed in NSO Security Paper) within 1-3 months. I got ours in 2 months.

If you didn't apply for AE, you'll get the NSO MC after 6 months.

If wife is changing her last name on her passport, she needs to have the NSO MC because that's a requirement at the DFA.

Edited March 24, 2013 by apple21

[jhonster 23]

Thanks Apple =))

I got some info from someone else on here that said a certified copy of the marriage contract would suffice to allow my wife to change her passport. Are you sure about needing the NSO version of the marriage contract to change her name on her Visa, Philippine I.D, etc?

How do I apply for advance endorsement of the NSO marriage contract?

[Tahoma 2,292]

How do I apply for advance endorsement of the NSO marriage contract?

Apply for advance endorsement at the civil registrar's office.

[CJ8611 6]

Thanks Apple =))

I got some info from someone else on here that said a certified copy of the marriage contract would suffice to allow my wife to change her passport. Are you sure about needing the NSO version of the marriage contract to change her name on her Visa, Philippine I.D, etc?

How do I apply for advance endorsement of the NSO marriage contract?

The NSO document is needed when changing the name on the passport. Even if you have the Certified True Copy of the Marriage Cert, it needs to be authenticated by NSO still. Better to have the MC issued by NSO. And your wife may have to attend the CFO seminar as well prior to renewing or changing her name on her passport.

http://www.passport.com.ph/info/requirements/for/renewal

For spouse of foreign national who would like to use their married surname:

• Marriage Contract (MC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or Certified True Copy (CTC) of MC issued by the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) and duly authenticated by NSO. Transcribed Marriage Contract from the LCR is required when entries in NSO Marriage Contract are blurred or unreadable.
• Report of Marriage duly authenticated by NSO if married abroad
• Original and photocopy of Commission of Filipino Overseas (CFO) Guidance and Counseling Certificate of Attendance (required for first time applicants or renewal of passport to be used for the first time the surname of the husband)

[Tahoma 2,292]

^^^ Yes, for amending her passport, get an NSO marriage certificate.

Also, she'll need a certificate of attendance from the CFO seminar.

[Isabela 20]

There are two marriage licenses in the Philippines, maybe 3 if you count the church one. The two I know about are the Civil Registrars marriage certificate and the NSO marriage certificate. Are you looking to file DCF at the embassy? The Civil Registrars certified copy will suffice for the 130 petition, but you will need the NSO copy for the interview.

I just got a RFE Saturday as they want the NSO marriage certificate. This was the Nebraska Service Center.

As far as the advance endorsement make sure not only you get it, but they send it by courier. My wife got the expedited letter on September 30th but they didn't send the file.

She picked it up yesterday and sent it to the closest NSO. They told her 5-10 working days.

[j&ana 363]

I also got an RFE about a week before Isabela did for NSO copy of marriage certificate.Mine I-130 was also sent to Nebraska. we both file in October. If I was you I will send in the NSO copy. The NSO in the Philippines should have a copy of yours marriage certificate by now. You was married in march of 2013. My wife and I got married in may of 2013 and they had our copy I can not remember if we expedited it or not. if you are going to be in manila you should be able to order it at NSO office there. If not you can order it online thru the ecensus website. Puerto Galera is a nice place is nice .I went there my first time I went to Philippines I stay at the out of blue resort.

[j&ana 363]

you can use the civil Registar copy for passport my wife got her first passport using that.But me and another member on here did get a RFE from Nebraska service center when we sent in our I-130 for NSO copy of marriage certificate.